Welcome to the new series, the Modern Proverbs 31 Woman! If you’re looking to grow in godliness, figure out your role, or study into the Bible more, these studies will hopefully be encouraging ones. It’s not just for wives and moms, even though Proverbs 31 talks about those roles specifically.

Before we start, let’s remember: the Proverbs 31 woman was encouragement for a young man looking for a wife. She’s not a real person (so don’t get frustrated with her for setting some kind of unattainable standard).

And this isn’t God telling women, “you’d better live up to this.” No, it’s basically a group of characteristics that a young man was encouraged to look for, probably ones the king who wrote it had seen in women he respected. I imagine she’s included in the Bible because those characteristics are incredible goals for us to have.

She also shows what a powerful role women can have. They have a huge effect on their families, businesses, and communities. She’s no doormat.

In the Proverbs 31 Woman We Trust

Verse 10-12 of Proverbs 31 NIV says, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of his life.”

To sum up this behavior in one characteristic, let’s use the word trustworthy. Trustworthy means able to be relied on as honest and truthful. It’s synonymous with words like reliable, dependable, and honorable.

Is there someone you have full confidence in? How does that feel?

My good friend Judith is one of those people. When we were working with the young professionals ministry in our church, she was a leader in it. I could ask her anything, from following up on a conversation to planning a whole event, and it would get done. If it was too challenging at the moment, I trusted her to be able to let me know what she could or couldn’t do. Even though we’re both in different stages of life now, I feel like I still can absolutely rely on her for anything.

What Does the Bible Say About Trustworthiness?

– God does it first.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”

Matthew 5:18 NIV says, “For I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

God proves himself reliable by fulfilling his promises to us. Accomplishment of the things he has set out to do are important to him. It proves that we can have confidence in him.

– He rewards the faith it takes to be trustworthy.

You can find the parable of the ten minas (or talents) in Luke 19:11-24. The gist of the story is that a master entrusts three of his servants with money to put to work until he gets back from a trip. He arrives back to find two of the servants have earned more money from that initial investment, while the third hid the money out of fear.

This story shows it’s all in our perspective. It’s how we look at the other person in the equation. If someone asks me for help, but I don’t know them well, or am not sure of their reasons for asking me to do something, I am much more hesitant to act.

Our choosing to respond to someone shows a great deal of faith and trust in them. And from what I can see, in the Bible and in life, God rewards us when we choose to take that leap.

– A trustworthy person is worthy of respect, and a blessing.

Proverbs 12:22 NIV says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”

1 Timothy 3:11 NIV says, “In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.”

Trustworthiness is a noble attribute. It’s a key characteristic of a leader. (1 Timothy 3 talks about it multiple times.) And it’s something God delights in.

How Can We Be More Trustworthy?

– Follow through.

It might be an obvious one, but we need to be careful about what we commit to, and be sure to follow through. Matthew 5 talks about us taking into consideration the weight of our promises.

– Make honesty your policy.

As I try to teach my oldest son, it’s hard to trust someone with a track record of dishonesty.

– Know your limits.

My husband said a profound thing. (Again. Because he’s smart like that.) He said, “I trust people who say ‘no’ more.” When it comes time for them to say yes, he feels that they know themselves well enough to know what they can and can’t do, rather than someone who says yes to everyone.

– Start small.

Be dependable in the small things, not just the big ones. I know for me, being consistently on time is a “small” way I can prove myself reliable, but it’s hard for sure.

What are your thoughts on trustworthiness? What small thing can you work on to become more trustworthy?

A few years ago, I studied more into the Proverbs 31 woman, and considered what she might be like today. I typed up a blog post in case anyone might be curious too, and put it online, not thinking too much about it.

To my amazement, the feedback was so positive, and bigger than I thought it would be. Years later, women are still connecting with this post, getting encouragement and focus through it. (And once in a while there’s a nasty comment over it, too – what are you going to do?)

All credit goes to God for that. I didn’t write Proverbs, and I don’t even remember what prompted me to write about the famous woman in chapter 31. But I’m glad that God is still working through it to reach women in all circumstances.

On the other hand, there is so much more to it than what I was able to get out of it in that tiny blog post. It’s the Bible – it’s dynamic, it relates to different people in different ways. And there is so much more to uncover.

Let’s Go Further

Today I’m kicking off a new study series called The Modern Proverbs 31 Woman. We’ll be going through this chapter and studying out various parts of this woman’s character. We will also relate it to what it means for us today.

The Goal

My hope with this study series is to help you know what a powerful role we have as women, and how purposeful life can be. There are a lot of misconceptions about women in our society and even in our religious history that can leave us feeling like we don’t have much to say or do in this world. But the Word makes it clear – God sees us, values us, and designed us with great things in mind.

Please Note

There are a lot of assumptions made about this probably-fictional character of the Bible. (My friend Gina has a great post debunking myths about the Proverbs 31 woman.) Here’s what you need to know – she was given as an example of characteristics for young men to look for in a wife – not a checklist for women to follow. She’s not meant to be someone to measure yourself against – just inspiration.

Who Is This Study For?

Any woman. Any stage of life.

Guess what? She’s a wife and a mom, but that doesn’t mean you have to skip over her if those aren’t your roles right now. She has so many amazing characteristics that work for any woman, in any stage. I think this study will be beneficial to you no matter what stage you’re in.

Finally, what if you’re not a Christian, or you’re not sure where you stand in your beliefs? Can this help you? Absolutely yes. The whole goal of my blog is to encourage a full and fulfilling life where you are. Applying these goals to your life can only bring good things. And it will help you learn more and make informed choices about the Word. If you’re open to learning, this is for you.

Let’s Do This

The posts will go up in the upcoming months. (Because it WILL take a while!) I’ll update this page with the posts as they go up.

Please do let me know if you have questions going forward! Comment below or email whatyoumakeitblog@gmail.com. I’m excited to dig into this with you guys!

Let’s back up a little bit. This weekend we went to a church conference that happens every four years, so it was a big deal to go. It’s tricky to go with two littles for sure. (Maybe a blog post for another time?) But it was worth the trip.

My first experience at the conference was Saturday afternoon for classes. (I took the morning and my hubby took the afternoon for taking care of the kiddos so we could each get undistracted learning time.) The afternoon classes – great.

Then Saturday night came. And they packed it in – good news and announcements and evangelist and women’s ministry appointments. Plus a lesson packed with amazing stories of people who went out on faith and saw God work.

Instead of elation, I left feeling overwhelmed. Feeling small and unimportant. You know those moments when the lies are just piling up? If you were important, you’d be up there. Or you’d be a victory story shared. What you’re doing isn’t important, and it’s not much of a success.

Which brings us to Sunday. I get up and pray, and sit in stillness for a while, just listening to God. I leave feeling more positive, but still unaware of what will happen next.

And then, a miracle.

God speaks to every single one of my fears and insecurities in that church service.

Someone shares Luke 5, when the fishermen worked hard all night and didn’t catch a thing until Jesus appeared on the scene. And I remember that it isn’t me and my effort, but God who orchestrates the victories.

A video comes on about how our church is serving those in need. And I remember all the times I’ve had the chance to give, and how I’m part of this great big thing happening for people to receive help, even if they aren’t pronouncing my name or showing my face.

Zacchaeus’ story is the heart of the sermon, which serves as a reminder that no matter where we come from, no matter how messy our past, when Jesus arrives on the scene and chooses us, that changes everything. That makes us so valuable.

Finally, the song “Reckless Love” is sung by the congregation, which almost makes me completely lose it. It’s a song about how God wholly pursues us, recklessly, with abandon. He does absolutely anything and everything to get to our hearts. I’ve never sung that song with a congregation, and the experience is so emotional for me. At this very moment, I almost feel as if all the singers and the stage and the people around me are taken away, and it’s just me and God.

God answers our fears.

There are more days when the lies are the loudest. It’s like my headphones are in and the volume is too high. I’m listening to a playlist of praise songs – and then a loud, annoying commercial cuts in.

You are so insignificant! What makes you think you can make a difference?

You will never be like that person. Maybe if you work reallyreallyreallyreally hard, you can almost catch up.

Even the things you give your whole heart to end in failure. Why try?

Somehow the ads become the whole playlist.

What we can fail to realize is that God answers all of our fears with promises and quiet reassurance. He does it on his own, but it takes a few things for me to be able to be on the same wavelength so I can catch them.

First, it takes prayer. And I mean, catching God up on all the lies I was hearing (and believing). It takes laying them at his feet, not knowing what he will do with them. Some encouragement comes from 1 John 5:14-15 NIV: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Second, it takes stillness. That day, it took a few minutes of being still and silent before God to feel his reassurance. I’m not typically much for mediating (and I’m definitely not one to love being still). But doing this before God helped me to stop focusing on the fears and instead give that attention to him. Exodus 14:14 NIV always encourages me: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Lastly, it takes waiting in expectation. We can eagerly wait for what God has in store for us. Psalm 3:5 NIV speaks to this: “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” We can be watching for how God is going to answer our prayers!

And how does he do it?

I don’t know what it will look like for you. God comes through in so many different ways, and I believe he makes them specific to our personalities and situations so that it’s what we need to see.

But here’s some ways God has answered my fears: by averting a crisis, or sometimes by allowing challenges to happen but also giving me the strength to rise up to them. It can come by the right scripture or encouragement from someone at the right time. It comes through a song on the radio or something to delight me or make me laugh. Unexpected solutions, miraculous interventions, a message or sharing that hits home. All of these are ways God answers my fears.

If you’re in a tough situation, or even just a normal one that leaves you riddled with fears, I hope you can be encouraged that God answers our fears. You can always go to him with your worries, as Matthew 11:28 NIV says: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

In what ways have you seen God intervene in your life to answer your fears?

When I say the words “international” and “art”, you probably think of the Louvre or Picasso. Beautiful things, although maybe ones that are far-removed, and people you don’t connect to. But imagine using art you create as a way to reach, inspire, and give life-changing opportunities to a new audience? (You need not be a professional artist to apply.)

My long-time friend Zoe (that’s her above – isn’t she beautiful?) and her campus ministry friends wanted to create an opportunity like this. They wanted to take their love of art, share it, and make it go further.

The Event

The campus ministry of the church we both attend hosts an annual basketball competition fundraiser. JamQuest raises funds to pay school fees for 30 children in Mukuru slums in Nairobi.

However, Zoe, Heather, Desiree, and Alison wanted to contribute with their artistic talents in an event all their own. “From HeART to HeART” brings in artists to instruct attendees at various stations. Attendees then create art which is later actually sent to encourage those children in Nairobi. Funds are also raised through the event to send to the children to help with their education.

“Our purpose is to use our passions of serving, creativity, and art to give the children an opportunity, empowering them to follow their dreams and to impact their communities and their families. To build relationships with them with hope and love. All the while inspiring others to make a difference in their community.”

The Impact

These fundraisers are kind of a big deal. From two events, they have raised over $5000 and mailed over 200 pieces of art to the children in Nairobi. They are truly making a difference.

The children’s responses to the art are priceless.

Charlotte wrote, “I am so thankful for the art crafts that you have made. They are so lovely and they also make me feel more loved, appreciated, and also the drawing of the hospital inspired me. I promise you that I will do my best and have a hospital of my own.”

Vincent wrote, “The gifts you sent me were wonderful and admirable. Besides, they touch my heart with hope and strength, to keep on having visions.”

The third event will take place September 29, 2018. If their mission moves you, I so encourage you to check out the JamQuest/From HeART to HeART event page, and even consider making a donation to further the impact of this event. They’re also on Instagram.

Finally, if you feel creatively inspired, consider hosting an event of your own! Contact Zoe to find out about creating a local “From HeART to HeART” event – on your campus, at your workplace, in your kids’ school system. This event can create a lot of change in the lives of children in poverty, and connect people from different backgrounds all over the world.